Notes:
Supposedly designed by the Iranian Defense Industries Organization, it is almost
certain that the S-5.56 is in fact an almost exact copy of the Chinese CQ
assault rifle (which is itself a close copy of the M-16A1).The S-5.56 is not intended for domestic use; rather, the S-5.56,
according to the Iranians, is meant for export sales.(With the Iranians’ history, I can easily see these weapons ending up in
the hands of terrorist organizations as well.)The S-5.56 appears to be identical in operation to the CQ (and therefore
close to the M-16A1’s operation), but uses a different pistol grip than the CQ.The S-5.56 also comes in two versions: the S-5.56A1, with a 19.9-inch
barrel and 1:12 rifling to optimize it for use with M-193-type cartridges, and
the S-5.56A3, with a 20-inch barrel and a 1:7 rifling twist to optimize it for
firing SS-109-type ammunition.
(Apparently, neither the Chinese nor the Iranians know that if you give a 5.56mm
NATO-firing rifle about a 1:9 rifling twist, it is capable of properly
stabilizing both M-193-type and SS-109-type ammunition…)The two versions are otherwise identical.It is not known if any sales or giveaways of any type have been made for
the S-5.56.

The Sudanese
make a copy of the S-5.56 Assault Rifle under license (which makes it sort of
interesting – a licensed copy of a licensed copy of an
unlicensed copy) called the Terab.The unusual difference is while it mostly conforms to the IDIO base, but
it chambered for 7.62mm NATO, making more of a copy of the AR-10.The Sudanese also used the AR-10 as its standard service rifle from
1957-89.Recent updates are more
straightforward copies of the S-5.56, firing 5.56mm NATO.

Twilight 2000
Notes: This assault rifle does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes:
Introduced in 2003, the KH-2002 was at first announced to be for police use
only, but may in fact also equip some Iranian special units, and possibly one
day see wider issue.There are also
rumors that it may be offered for export in the near future.(The name “Khaybar” commemorates the oasis of Khaybar, approximately 153
kilometers east of Medina in Saudi Arabia.During the Battle of Khaybar in Islam’s early history, the largest Jewish
settlement in the Arab world at that time was destroyed.)

Although details are
sketchy, it appears that the KH-2002 is probably a modified conversion of the
S-5.56 (above) to a bullpup configuration.It thus has a modified M-16A1-type operating system, and the KH-2002 can
take any magazine compatible with the M-16/AR-15 series.The fire controls are screwy; they are not anywhere near the pistol grip,
but are instead on the left side of the buttstock almost at the rear, and I find
it difficult to see how they can be manipulated when the KH-2002 is on the
shooter’s shoulder without taking the weapon off the shoulder.The fire controls allow for safe, semiautomatic, burst, and
full-automatic settings.The
trigger group looks almost identical to that of the FAMAS
G2, with a huge trigger guard as long as the pistol grip.Below the front of the narrow barrel shroud is a permanently-attached
folding bipod which is to a small extent adjustable for height and cant.The barrel shroud itself is partially ventilated, using five slots on
either side of the shroud.The
entire weapon is largely enclosed in a two-piece polymer shell, with a recoil
pad on the butt.The top of the
rifle has a long handguard, which can accept both Eastern and Western optics,
and can also mount virtually any sort of mounting hardware (including a
MIL-STD-1913 rail). Case ejection is to the right, with the ejection port being
in just the right position for hot brass to hit the face of left-handed
shooters.The KH-2002 can accept
standard M-16-type bayonets, Iranian bayonets, or G-3-style bayonets; in
addition, a special folding bayonet has been designed for the KH-2002.Provision is made for an underbarrel grenade launcher (a modified M-203
of Iranian design) and rifle grenades are also usable.The KH-2002 is available in three versions, with the Designated Marksman
version having a heavier, better-quality barrel of 30.71 inches.The standard assault rifle version uses a barrel of 28.74 inches, with
the “carbine” having a 26.77-inch barrel.All are tipped with a modified M-16A1-type flash suppressor.The long barrels lead to a very long exposed length of barrel, but give
the KH-2002 excellent accuracy.
However, the barrels, being essentially lengthened M-16A1-type barrels, can be
easily bent in the heat of battle.

Just a personal
observation: I frankly don’t see the point of having such a long bullpup weapon;
the whole idea of a bullpup weapon is to make a weapon
smaller, not to be able to stuff such
a long barrel into it that it is the same length as any other assault rifle.

Twilight 2000
Notes: The KH-2002 is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Merc 2000 Notes:
Available in early 2002, the KH-2002 was soon seen all over the Middle East, and
as far away as Indonesia and Serbia in small numbers.